Ssssshhhhh! Don't Tell!

I am officially calling a MHM (Momma's Hypocrite Moment) on myself tonight. As I sit here and look at the time (11:36 p.m. if you were wondering), I realize how much more I need to complete before class tomorrow. Now, this would not be SUCH a big deal if I had not just informed my son, less than 6 hours ago, that he needed to better budget his time in order to complete his homework AND get a decent night's sleep.

Hmmm, yeah, weeeellll.... I'd love to say I had a perfect excuse, but I don't. Basically, what I have is life filled with a lot of joy and running. As such, sometimes I don't keep myself as organized as I should.

So, what should I do about the itty-bitty MHM I had earlier tonight. I say if you, don't tell I won't; and, hopefully, my son will learn better organizational skills than me.

"Do as I say, not as I do."

                      ~All parents



Busy is a Blessing

I recently read in one of my text books a very profound sentiment: Instead of busy women lamenting how much must be done in a given day, they should rejoice for how many blessings they have in their lives.

Now, that statement is paraphrased, and it was not written in reference to poorer women who are busy trying to keep food on the table. The opinion was in reference to the "middlers"--soccer moms, professionals, wives, sisters, daughters--all of whom have about 30+ items on their to-do lists on any given day. At times, those to-do lists seem to be "I'm done! Stick a fork in me!" lists--to much to do and not enough time. But here's the thing, when we look at any one item on that list of things to do, would we really want to give up the blessings associated with that item?

For instance, I'm sitting here looking at my list for tomorrow. There are about a half dozen items pertaining to work, another couple having to do with school and three or four dealing with my children. (To be honest with you, I'm pretty sure my kid items will increase before the night is out.)

Now, I could cross off  the job items if I just gave up my job. Besides my love for food and having a house (both of which require money from my job), I love my work. My work is not something I want to give up, even if it can be a pain in the butt sometimes. And then there's school. Granted, papers and projects are not things that makes me go, "Oh YEA!!!!"; but, those are the necessary evils of going back to school in a field that excites me. The last and final group of items revolve around my children. Let me go on record to say that, if I lost my job, it would be hard, but I would manage. If I had to drop out of school, I'd be disappointed, but oh well. If I lost my children, a part of me would be lost, and I would only be a shadow of the person I am now. I don't care how many items end up on my list when it comes to my babies, because my babies deserve the best.

So, busy is a blessing. Sometimes in the rush of it all, it might not seem that way. And I feel fairly confident that I will, at some point in time in the near future, utter some curse word regarding one or more of the items on my list. But, in a calmer moment, I'll be able to count all the blessings I have.

" Busy is an opportunity, not a dirty word."

~Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.

Passionate

I love reading my textbooks. There. I admitted it. What does this make me? "A nerd." you say.  Well, yes. But I prefer to think of myself as passionate.

Passion seems to have made a second appearance in my life. My work and classes are exciting to me. My friendships are fulfilling. My discussions surrounding religion and politics can become heated, but in a good way. My children and their development continue to surprise and amaze me.

So, I will gladly accept the label of "nerd" as long as I'm allowed to add the adjective "passionate" in front of it. Because, at this point in my life, that is the adjective that best describes me and my experiences.

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential -- for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never.”



                                      ~Soren Kierkegaard

I'm Melting! Melting!

I always felt that the Wicked Witch of the West got what was coming to her. She was mean and nasty, green and ugly, and overall a really grouchy and unhappy person. But after spending several hours in the Alabama sun watching my daughter cheer and my son play football, I have a new-found sympathy for the woman.

It was hot today. Let me re-phrase that, it was BLISTERING today. Especially since we were sitting on concrete bleachers that felt as if they had been recently transplanted to the stadium from the surface of the sun.

Now, you might want to ask, why in the world were there scrimmage football games held in Alabama in August during the heat of the day?  Instead of, oh, I don't know, say NIGHT TIME? Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I will no longer watch the Wicked Witch melt without a sliver of sympathy running through my soul for her.

You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! melting! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness? Oooooh, look out! I'm going! Oooooh! Ooooooh!

                                       ~Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)

Little Prayers

As exciting as recent changes in my life are--watching my children start a new school year, watching ME start a new school year--these changes have led to some serious stress in my life.

School for my kids means new clothes, school supplies and extracurricular activity fees. For me, school means tuition, micro-scheduling my life and a serious case of the nerves. Juxtapose all of that with the "normal" stressors of my life, and it tends to weigh me down. Weighing me down to a point where tears are plentiful and I can feel out of control. That is, until I begin saying my little prayers.

It's amazing how the same amount of stress can seem so much less when I pray my little prayers. Nothing fancy or eloquent or profound. Usually they are one sentence prayers, such as "God give me guidance." or "God, please just let what You want to happen happen." But, with just little prayers, my heavy load gets lighter.

“For no prayer's unanswered and no prayer unheard.”

My Baby

I keep thinking to myself that my baby is getting kinda big, but no big deal. He's still my baby.

Today, when I went to pick up my son's schedule for middle school, I had to question my thought process on this point. My baby is going to middle school. He'll be 12 at the end of the month. He has little girls thinking HE IS CUTE!!! My baby isn't a baby anymore.

So, I am now dealing with a shift in my thought process. I'm not sure how that is going. I think I'll just pretend it isn't happening right now and deal with it more tomorrow. One can only take so much reality in a day!

Son, you outgrew my lap, but never my heart.               
                                            ~Author Unknown

My Dishwasher--A Snapshot of My Life

So, I've come to understand something about myself. If you look at my dishwasher at my dirty dishes, you can usually figure out what's going on in my life at any point in time.

For instance, right now, my dishwasher is full of coffee cups. Not a few. A LOT! What this means is that my life remains busy with me staying up late and getting up early in order to keep up.

There have been times when my dishwasher has been mostly pots and pans and mixing bowls. Usually this means I'm in the homebody, entertaining mood. I'm wanting to make suppers in which Martha Stewart would take pride.

Now, if my dishwasher is full of dirty plates, forks and glasses, this means that all is normal in my little domestic world. Kids are running, mom is running and the dishwasher wasn't turned on as planned.

My life reflected in my dishwasher. I'm just not sure what to make of that one.

"Want to load the dishwasher?... I'd be thrilled."

                           ~Lines from the Big Chill

New Starts

I started again. "What have you started?" you may ask. My reply?

Fund raising. Robin and I had our second yard sale to raise money for our walk in October.
Cleaning. Having held said yard sale, a great deal has been moved out of my house. This has helped somewhat with the cleaning process.
Applying to School. I've completed and submitted my application for graduate school in Marriage and Family Therapy. 
Shopping. School starts August 10 for my children. Enough said.
Dreaming. Well, okay, I never stopped doing this one. Just thought I'd throw it in for fun.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”



                                            ~Maria Robinson

Happy

I'm happy. Busy, but happy.

I'll start training again for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk (New York) pretty soon. It's an October walk, so I still have a little longer before the "gotta get going" kicks in. I'm excited about this adventure, although I'll be starting graduate school (hopefully) in the fall,so the "to do" list will be a little longer. I'm just looking at the training walks as good LONG stress release sessions. Also, my babies will both be starting new schools in the fall. Although they are both comfortable with this transition, I'm a bundle of nerves. Again, 20 mile training walks may be helpful in this area. (Laugh to yourself, please.)

So, there you go. I'm running around like a chicken with her head cut off, forgetting if I'm coming or going, and I'm happier than I've been in a very long time.

Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place. But there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around.
                                           ~E.L. Konigsburg

Tick Tock Goes the Clock

I swear, some days I feel like the clock is set to fast forward. I celebrate on New Year's Day, go to bed, and wake up the next day in June.

I guess part of this feeling of lost time comes from not having a spare weekend for the last five weekends in a row. Not that the weekends were filled with root canals and SAT exams. They were just filled with no time to get the "normal" stuff done like laundry and housework and just lounging for a few minutes.

This past weekend was all about my little girl turning 8. We had a birthday party at my mom and dad's house with family and family friends. It was a great party with the kids playing blocks and chasing each other and the adults laughing and talking. But, wow!, afterwards I was tired.

So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this weekend will be free. Nothing to do but housework and laundry and maybe, just maybe, a little lounging.

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello or goodbye! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!

          ~ The Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland

A Night at Sea, A Day at Sea and Costa Maya

Well, as promised, more details from the cruise.

The first night we began our sail down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. The kids enjoyed playing in a swimming pool complete with a crocodile water fountain and two--not one, but two--water slides. 

Water Slide Fun



I enjoyed a nap. My parents enjoyed watching the kids. All were happy. The only victim of sea sickness that first night was my little girl. Nana's handy-dandy med bag came to the rescue, though, and the following day all were good as new.



Fun in the Sun



The next day at sea had the kids and I playing a few rousing games of BINGO along with more swimming. (I did a little laying out so I'd actually look as if I had been on a cruise.) Another nap was taken (by me), and a large quantity of food was consumed. On this night, the second victim of sea sickness--my son--was taken. Again, Nana to the rescue.

The first land day was Costa Maya, Mexico, where we spent the day touring Mayan ruins and eating with a local family. We even made our own tortillas. Not well, but we made them. And the food made by the family was delicious! My baby girl became a bit grumpy during the day, but since the temperature reached 537 degrees, the grouchiness was a little understandable.

 

Beautiful Beach





Mayan Pyramid





Tortilla Expert

“The rainy days a man saves for usually seem to arrive during his vacation.”

Tired...But in a Great Way

I'm tired. About to crash in fact. But, I'm tired in a great way.

The kids, my parents and I just returned from a 7 day cruise to Mexico, Honduras and Belize. Mayan ruins were climbed, monkeys and dolphins were petted, zip lines were zipped and LOTS of food was eaten.

More of our adventures will come tomorrow. For now, I'm feeling my pillow calling.

“If you come home as happy as you leave, you have had a good vacation.”

The Scene of the Crime

A brutal murder took place in my home today. At the crime scene there were obvious signs of struggle. Bedding strewn on the floor. Pieces of furniture broken. But no body. It had been moved from the original point of assault.

My son found the body lying on the living room floor. Cutie Pie the hamster had a large hole in her side. I would say rigamortis had set in, but I honestly did not examine the creature that closely. I was too busy thinking up the happy lie with which to shield my daughter from the truth as to what happened to her new pet. That, and I was attempting to profile which of my felines had turned criminal on me. (My  instincts tell me that it was the one with the Cheshire-like grin on her face sporting the "Whatcha gonna do about it?" attitude.)

May you rest in peace Cutie Pie.

“It's easy to understand why the cat has eclipsed the dog as modern America's favorite pet. People like pets to possess the same qualities they do. Cats are irresponsible and recognize no authority, yet are completely dependent on others for their material needs. Cats cannot be made to do anything useful. Cats are mean for the fun of it.” 

                                             ~P. J. O'Rourke

What's Really Important

This past week has been a roller coaster of emotions for me, and it has certainly brought life into sharp focus.

First, we had the tornado. THE tornado. I haven't heard the latest information, but it looks like the monster that hit Tuscaloosa will be rated an EF4 or EF5. Alabama has already had another tornado rated as an EF5, and these two were only one of many that hit our state this past Wednesday. Too many people died. Hundreds more remain missing. Rumor has it that the death toll in Tuscaloosa will reach 1,000 before everything is said and done.

BUT...my family was spared. My friends are alive, although many suffered property loss. My work kiddos and foster parents are all accounted for and unharmed. And, some very happy news, I was told last night my missing friend is unharmed. (May I just state that I LOVE Facebook! If you send enough emails to random friends of a friend, someone will eventually answer you.) This tragedy has helped me to appreciate even more the life my Lord has given me, and all of the wonderful people that make my life so wonderful.

So, with the tornado's tragedy as a backdrop,  I traveled across state to participate in my baby brother's wedding. As happy of an event as this was, it also came with the normal wedding stressors. But all stress was worth it when I watched my new sister walk down the aisle and seeing my brother's face light up. Spending time with my new family members (Yep! I've adopted my sister-in-laws entire family. They are too wonderful not too!) and watching my babies perform their wedding duties with grace and ease, it made me practically burst with happiness. Being able to see my wonderful baby brother marry his love made me appreciate all the love I have in my own life.

Then, today, my children proved to me, yet again, how truly amazing they are. My son asked me several times if he could volunteer with the tornado clean up. So, after striking out at the first place where we attempted to volunteer (I love it when I'm turned away because a place has too many volunteers.), we ended up at a local charity where we helped sort through the toys which were being donated. Other volunteers were sorting clothes, home items, baby items, food, etc. To see the amount of items in this large warehouse, and the number of cars lining up to drop off items, made me very proud of my community. I felt even more pride when, after asking my children if they were ready to go after two hours, my daughter looked at me and said, "Please mom, can we stay longer?" At that moment, I appreciated the fact my children were able to witness and experience compassion.

Life, love and compassion. That's what's really important.

“I have been asked on hundreds of times in my life why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction. I have to accept, by faith, that God is sovereign, and He is a God of love and mercy and compassion in the midst of suffering.”



                                          ~Billy Graham

Adventures

Having grown up in a rural area of Alabama, I developed a lively imagination. One of my favorite things to do as a child was to imagine myself in some grand adventure where I'd be the brave heroine saving the day for mankind.

Being all grown up now, I've retained some of my imagination. I no longer dream that I can save mankind; I do still believe, though, in making normal life occurances an adventure. (Granted, some would be mean spirited enough to call some of my adventures "mistakes," but why ruin a good story?)

I guess one of my biggest adventures of late has been surviving the tornado which passed over our neighborhood. We were very fortunate in the fact that there were no deaths or injuries, and most of the property damage caused by the F1 twister was more inconvenient than anything else. I know of only one home in my neighborhood which had significant damage on the interior of the home (due to a fallen tree.) Other than that, all of the damage appeared to be missing shingles, downed trees, damage to garages and back porches and blown away fences. Mine was one of the fences that went bye-bye.


There once was a fence here.



Fence that is no more.

Then, I recently had another adventure which my son is having WAY too much glee retelling.

See, I lost my wallet the other day. Couldn't find it anywhere. Searched the house, the car, my office, my yard, in the freezer, in the laundry--nowhere.

I was running low on gas, but had enough to get me home. My son needed to get something out of his dad's apartment which is only a couple of miles from my house, so I asked Moneybags if I could borrow a few dollars in cash (since I never have any and the bank was closed) to get some gas in my car. Sure! No problem!

One problem. I managed to run out of gas between the apartment and the gas station. Now, I'm in grungy clothes, wearing no shoes and both kids are with me. Staying calm, cool and collected (while internally cursing myself), I walk to the closest gas station with borrowed money in my hand and borrowed shoes on my feet (courtesy of my son, also.)

Now, for anyone who believes that kindness is dead, I would like to state the sweet Texaco attendant who helped me completely blows your theory! She was so kind--allowing me to get some gas in a container and return to collected my two babies that I had threatened with death if they left the locked car--before I paid. She did this only on my promise to return.

I managed to get the gallon of gas into my tank and drove my car the remainder of the way to the gas station. I then drove home while my son called his Papa (my daddy) on MY cell phone. What did my son do? HE TATTLED ON ME! Told Papa all about my running out of gas. He then told one of my work kiddos the following day, making sure he did so as he was leaving the car so I couldn't reach him. On top of that, when Robin came by the next day, he took extreme delight in telling her too! (She already knew, so I blew his joy on that one at least! HA!)

I guess the good news is, my son is finding joy in my adventures!

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

                                       ~Helen Keller

Little League, Better Known as My Life

Dear Mr. Little League Commisioner,

I would like to point out my son is currently only 11 years old. Granted, he will be 12 later this year, but, at this time, he is 11.

So, may I ask why exactly his current Little League game schedule looks more like the Braves' or the Yankees'? Not to complain (at least not too much), but four games in one week may be borderline ridiculous--minus the "borderline." Since my son is not receiving the compensation of a major league player, the fact that he is often grumpy following the late night practices/ games is an extreme nuisance to me.

Also, I am not just looking out for the well-being of myself and my child. I have also noticed a few of the faces of opposing teams' coaches turning various shades of purple during recent games. I am concerned that these color changes are bad things, and pushing these people to coach so many games in one week may lead to much negative media attention.

Thank you for the your attention in this matter.

Sincerely yours,

A Cranky Little League Mom

“Kids should practice autographing baseballs. This is a skill that's often overlooked in Little League.”

Beach Bums

Well, it's official. My children make really great beach bums!

I have to admit, it's not that bad of a life. I'm definitely a little bit (a lot) burned, and I don't like half the sand on the beach leaving with me. Other than that, though, I think I could go Jimmy Buffett with my lifestyle.

Here are just a few pics from our spring break getaway. (Thanks again to Hannah, Mark and Madi! I love you all!)


USS Alabama

The great sandcastle architect

Two jellyfish managed to sting my babies, but many of their brethren were captured in the process.



Hitting the waves



Big bro giving "surfing" lessons

The end of a wonderful day!




“I honestly think the beach is the only place children actually entertain themselves.”



~Donna McLavy



Day 1 of Beach Trip

We all made it to the beach alive. Granted, it was touch and go a few times as the kids were contemplating beginning their lives as only children.

After making it to Hannah's house, we went to the Fairhope pier. Let me just say, as soon as I become a multi-millionaire, I'll be moving down to Fairhope. Michaela has already stated she likes this plan.

"You never know how many friends you have until you rent a house on the beach."

(Or buy a house close by. Thanks Hannah and Mark for putting me and my motley crew up for a few days.)

Beach Bound!

Me and my kiddos are heading to the beach! We're heading to the beach! We're heading to the beach! Me and my kiddos are heading to the beach! I'm so very excited--Yes I am!

Deep Breaths

Well, my babies are growing up. This became a stark reality within a short 24 hour period.

First, my son came home from a school carnival that he and his buddy attended. In discussing all the cool games and the prizes that my son won, my son mentioned the fact that a young lady around my son's age described him as "attractive."

HUH?!?!?! My baby is attractive?! Well, okay. Granted, he has some incredibly beautiful hazel eyes surrounded by long, dark eyelashes. And he's got some serious muscles on him for an eleven-year-old. And, okay, he is rather cute in my he's-my-baby-boy sort of way. But attractive? To a person of the opposite sex? And he's happy about it? (Deep breaths. Deep breaths.)

Next, my daughter informed me that she would like to re-paint her room green, because that is her new favorite color. Okay. I can do that. Perfectly normal for a little girl to outgrow pink. It was the next statement that made me a little uncomfortable. "And, then, I want you to write Justin Bieber's name all around my room in pink and purple."

WHAT?!?!?! Okay, perfectly normal for a child to have a crush on a celebrity. And all little girls put up posters of their favorite entertainers. But a 16-year-old boy? And my baby girl has a crush on him? And wants his name written all over her walls? (Deep breaths. Deep breaths.)

My babies are growing up. Every day they are less my little boy and girl and more my young man and young lady. Which is good. I want my children to grow and mature and become the wonderful persons that God has planned for them to be.

But, every once in awhile, I wish for time to slow down long enough for me to take a few deep breaths and hold my babies close--for just a little while longer.

Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing.
                          ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987